The Kidnapping of Mona Lisa

Art is crucial to the identity of Paris. It’s inevitable that one of its most popular destinations is a museum, The Louvre.

Paris, France has long been a place of wonder. Rich in history, it’s a location where the past and present mix, making tourists feel that they’ve been pulled back in time.

Kings and queens have walked its paved roads. These roads also served as the setting for a bloody revolution. Those old cobblestones were soaked with blood, when the people decided they no longer wished to serve a royal family.

It’s been a hub for artistic talent: to this day, it’s not uncommon to come across painters with easels at street corners, attempting to capture the personality of the City of Light.

Art is crucial to the identity of Paris. It’s inevitable that one of its most popular destinations is a museum, The Louvre. The sprawling building alone has a fascinating past.

It was built as a royal palace under Phillip II, during the late 12th to 13th centuries. As the city expanded in 1546, it lost its function as a fortress. That year, it was converted by Francis I into the primary residence of the French kings. It remained so until 1682, when Louis XIV chose Versailles for his household.

Map of Paris, 1643

When the royal family moved to Versailles, they freed the Louvre for another purpose. It became a place to house and display the royal collection of art. The Louvre’s first exhibit took place on 10 August, 1793, where portraits were displayed. The majority of them had been confiscated from churches.